A clinical comparison of the new attachment obtained by guided tissue regeneration and coronally positioned flap techniques in the management of human molar furcation defects

The present clinical trial was designed to evaluate the regenerative potential of the periodontal tissue in Class II furcation defects in mandibular molars using reconstructive surgery based on the guided tissue regeneration (GTR) technique versus the coronally positioned flap (CPF) technique. After the completion of the initial phase of therapy and four to six weeks healing period, 20 furcation-involved molars were examined for baseline data which included plaque index, gingival condition, probing depth (PD), probing attachment level (PAL-V, PAL-H) and radiographs. All parameters were reexamined after three, six and twelve months of healing, except PD, PAL-V and PAL-H which were not measured at three and six months. A nonparametric analysis was used. The study showed that there were no significant differences in the mean baseline measurements between the treatment groups. After 12 months following surgical treatment, both GTR and CPF procedures showed gains in new clinical attachment levels. When comparing parameters between the two surgical procedures, GTR molars showed significantly more improvement in probing depth as well as vertical and horizontal attachment level of the interradicular osseous defect than did the CPF molars (p < 0.05). About 80 per cent of the sites treated with the GTR technique showed complete clinical resolution of the furcation problem. CPF therapy reached the same Treatment goal in about 50 per cent of the cases which were treated. Guided tissue regeneration appeared to be more effective in promoting regeneration than the coronally positioned flap.